Louise & Patrick are a great example of this. During the build up to their wedding in April, we’d had numerous conversations and meetings and I’d even been able to help source other suppliers for them. From a personal point of view, it was really gratifying that all their plans came together so perfectly for their day in April. Even the weather co-operated and the sun made an appearance.

The couple married at their local church and held the reception at the nearby West Heath School in Sevenoaks (Princess Diana’s old school). There were some special, personal touches during the day. Louise’s platinum and diamond necklace was originally a gift to her grandmother and has only been worn a handful of times during its life. The choice of car was significant as well, Louise’s first motor was a Morris Minor and she’d been unsuccessfully searching the internet for one to hire for the day. I’d just happened to see this one feature in a wedding a friend had photographed last year, so with a few quick calls had found the hire company and put them in touch with Louise.

Louise attends a belly-dance class, so instead of a traditional first dance she’d arranged a surprise performance from her teacher, Chantel. She was then joined by Louise and the rest of the class for a complete routine!

During the day I was looking for an opportunity to capture a really strong, stand-out image which would provide a special memory for the couple. West Heath has a main entrance with good architectural appeal, so it was then a case of working out the lighting and finding the right moment to grab the couple for a few moments. I’m really happy with the result and it makes a perfect end to their album.

Here’s a selection of images from the day – you can see more by clicking on the galleries tab. You’ll also find links to suppliers at the bottom of this post.

Venue: West Heath School

Caterers: Frasers Events

Morris Minor: Bussey Executive Hire

Belly-Dancer: Chantel

When it came to choosing a location for their pre-wedding shoot, there was only one choice – their local, the Frog & Toad!

Establishing a good rapport with clients is such an important part of what I do and, over time, this helps clients get to know the way I work and trust me when I suggest we try a shot a slightly different way…

Anyway, here’s a selection of their shots and don’t forget to come back soon for the shots from their big day. PS – just how lovely is Marley, their Australian Shepherd Dog.

When we first met I explained to Holly that I positively encourage my clients to think about any particular shots they’d like incorporated into their coverage. I’m really glad to say she took this on board and when we met on Sunday supplied me with a print out of ideas and looks she liked. This meant we could try them out in advance of the wedding and see which will suit their day. Here’s a selection of shots from the session:

Flatford Mill is best known as the location for Constable’s ‘The Haywain’ and is where the couple had their first date. Fortunately the weather was slightly brighter for them that day, but in between the showers we had a walk around, took some shots and chatted about their plans for their wedding at Madingley Hall in April.

Many thanks to Lottie Ettling who joined us on the shoot. She very kindly carried the bags, held a brolly over me and generally kept everyone’s spirits up. Lottie will be assisting me on a few weddings this year – glad to have her on board.